I was really sad to see 22 go... to say you're 22 feels so innocent and it's really a perfect excuse to not have anything figured out.

23 was a bit like that. You're still okay to be struggling financially and kids probably aren't in the near future.

BUT NOW. NOW I'm 24. I feel like this age sets you up for so many questions: "When are you having kids?!" "Oh, you're still renting an apartment...?" "What do you and your husband do?"

See, 24 is just a little scary, because I feel like an adult, for REAL. Okay, I might be exaggerating.... because I'm honestly pretty excited for what this year will bring! Matt and I will hopefully have a bit more figured out about our future, I'll be stepping up my role in my current job, and who knows what else.

Though I'm excited about what's to come, I think it's important to reflect on what I've learned in year 23 and there's two big lessons I'm definitely taking to 24.

1. FINDING THE SILVER LINING

Maybe it sounds a little obvious, but this year really taught me to change my perspective on life. After Matt broke his foot for the second time about a year ago, we really couldn't figure out WHY. I don't know that we'll ever find the answer to that question, but somehow we were able to find the good in that sh*tty situation.

Together we sifted through it all and found there actually were some positives that came out of that second break. I won't drag you through them all, but finding those silver linings, big or small, changed our perspective of his injury.

Since then, I've done this with every challenge we face. I've found a way to use this in my daily life to make any day a good day. Whether I'm late for work or Tuddie gets sick on our comforter (happens more than it should), I'm constantly searching for the good things that come from what might seem like something bad. Try it for yourself!

I've done a good job in the past year of finding balance in my life. I started by pinpointing the things that are important to me and the things that make me happy. Once I narrowed those down I found the 4 legs to my chair that I need to keep balanced to live a happy daily life.

It starts with my marriage/family. It's important to me that my relationships with my parents and siblings are healthy and strong. I talk to my mom and sister at least three times per day on the phone and I like it that way! When I'm apart from my family for more than a week, I feel totally out of balance. I pair my marriage in with my family because Matt is just as important to me. We spend as much time as possible together because our relationship grows and feeds off of communication. Quality time with my family and my husband are definitely one of those chair legs.

Secondly, I need some alone time. This might be working out, yoga, reading a book, a warm bath, or cooking a big meal. Time to myself is crucial to my happiness! Having time to focus on my own thoughts counts as number 2.

My third leg to the chair is my job/career. I spend quite a bit of time focusing on my job and future career. I love what I do and I couldn't ask for a better job. The athletes and coaches I talk to are some of the most inspiring people in my life and I can't imagine a better job than mine. I feel fulfilled when I'm at work and it's absolutely one of the most important things in my life right now.

Finally, my social life takes the fourth leg. Though most of my time is taken up by the three above, I do require a bit of a social life. Time spent with friends gives my mind a break from everything else. Sometimes it all starts to become too much, and a simple dinner or drink date with my girls pulls me back to planet earth. The simple conversations or a small vent session to someone that really understands brings back the balance I need.

My advice is to find your three-legged stool or your four-legged chair and do your best to keep it balanced!

So, today I'm looking back at year 23 and being thankful for the things that happened and what I learned. But tomorrow, I'm looking ahead to 24 and what this year has in store for me. CHEERS TO ANOTHER YEAR!